North American Wetlands Conservation Fund (15.623)

 

Program

15.623 North American Wetlands Conservation Fund

 

Federal Agency

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

 

Authorization

North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Public Law 101-233, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 4401.

 

Program Number

15.623

 

Last Known Status

Active

 

Objectives

To provide grant funds for wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

 

Types of Assistance

Project Grants.

 

Uses and Use Restrictions

Funds are used to acquire real property interest in lands or waters, including water rights, if the obtaining of such interest is subject to terms and conditions that will ensure that the real property will be administered for the long-term conservation of such lands and waters and the migratory birds and other fish and wildlife dependent thereon; and restore, manage, or enhance wetland ecosystems and other habitat for migratory birds and other fish and wildlife species if such restoration, management, or enhancement is conducted on lands and waters that are administered for the long-term conservation of such lands and waters and the migratory birds and other fish and wildlife dependent thereon. Further, NAWCF funds derived from the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act may only be used in coastal wetlands ecosystems in coastal States.

 

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Available to private or public organizations or to individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Available to any private or public organization or individual.

Credentials/Documentation

None.

 

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

A Federal Register announcement is published annually and a publication containing grant application instructions. Associated materials and guidelines are posted on our web site (see below) and available in printed form upon request. Grant applications are submitted directly to the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201; (703) 358-1784. There is no need to provide instructions regarding the necessity of submission to single State agencies. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

Proposals, including Standard Form 424 "Application for Federal Assistance," are submitted to the North American Wetlands Conservation Council Coordinator in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and are reviewed by the Coordinator's staff, Council staff, and North American Waterfowl Management Plan Joint Venture Coordinators. Site visits are conducted if needed. Grant proposals are recommended for approval by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts a National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act review of proposals that the Council selects to recommend to the Commission.

Award Procedure

The Council selects proposals in March, July, and December that are recommended to the Commission for final funding approval in September, February/March, and June, respectively. A grant agreement is prepared that at a minimum ensures that wetlands acquired, restored, enhanced or managed with Act funds are administered for the long-term conservation and management of such wetland ecosystem and the fish and wildlife dependent thereon.

Deadlines

Standard grants are due in March and July, and small grants are due in December. In addition, U.S. proposal due dates are published in the Federal Register, annual instructions booklets and via the Internet.

 

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Appeals

None. Proposals not funded may be resubmitted.

Renewals

Proposals are funded on a project-specific basis. Requests for future funding must compete with other requests for project funding.

 

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Proposals must have at least a 1:1 match of nonfederal U.S. dollars; although nonfederal dollars for Mexico proposals do not have to be U.S. dollars.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Grant agreements are written for grant funds that should be spent within 2 years; grant period can be extended beyond the 2 years for reasonable cause.

 

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Annual status reports are required during the course of a grant agreement's period of performance. A final report must be submitted within 90 days of a project's completion.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records

The Recipient shall maintain a complete, detailed accounting system to report expenditures of grant funds and a detailed accounting of receipts and expenditures of nonfederal matching dollars or value of services. Records, accounts, and supporting documents must be retained for 3 years after submission for final request of reimbursement.

 

Program Accomplishments

In fiscal year 2001, the program funded 143 new projects for a total of 929 since program's inception. The wetlands conservation projects obligated $72 million in fiscal year 2001 and have obligated more than $411 million in total grants. In fiscal year 2001, partners added $256 million to the projects; the total funds generated by the partners is now more than $1 billion since the inception of the program.

 

Financial Information

Account Identification

14-5241-0-2-303.

Obligations

(Grants) FY 02 $41,760,000; FY 03 est $36,777,000; and FY 04 est $47,578,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

$600 to $1,000,000; $631,261.

 

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

United States Standard Grants Application Instructions; Small Grants Instructions; and Progress Report, 1998-1999.

 

Related Programs

15.605, Sport Fish Restoration; 15.611, Wildlife Restoration; 15.614, Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act.

 

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Appendix IV for addresses of USFWS Regional Offices.

Headquarters Office

Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240. Contact: Chief, Division of Bird Habitat Conservation, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 110, Arlington, VA 22203. Telephone: (703) 358-1784.

Web Site Address

http://birdhabitat.fws.gov/NAWCA/grants.htm

 

Examples of Funded Projects

Wetlands conservation projects involving acquisition, restoration, and enhancement of wetlands and wetlands ecosystems.

 

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

The Council selects proposals based on factors given in Section 5 of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, results of site visits, available funds and other factors deemed important to meeting Act objectives. U.S. standard and small grant proposals are additionally evaluated against answers to Technical Assessment Questions taken from Section 5 of the Act and annually published in instructions booklets.